Lungs for Matthew
Donation protected
In 2009, my husband Matthew had a bone marrow transplant for Hodgkin's Lymphoma.
(Matthew and his sister, Holly, during his bone marrow transplant - November 2009)
Thanks be to God he has been cancer free for almost 8 years now!
However, the new immune system that he got from his bone marrow donor is now attacking his lungs; slowly but surely eating them away from the inside out. Over the past couple of months, his lung function has declined enough to where he now requires supplemental oxygen.
In Matthew's case, there is no easy cure. So far, the doctors have treated him with four lines of therapy in attempts to save what lung function he has left, but to no avail. Below is a quick peek at one of these treatments called photopheresis:
Now, the only option he has left to restore his lung function and avoid death is to receive a double lung transplant. We started this process at Duke just a few weeks ago.
It is projected that within the next 2-3 months, Matthew will be listed on the lung transplant registry and await new lungs. Amazingly, the average wait time for a set of lungs at Duke is only about 14 days after listing! That means all of this could happen very quickly, even as early as May or June!
(Us during his work-up for lung transplant, right before the cardiac catheterization!)
At that point, we will receive a phone call and Matthew will be admitted for surgery where they remove his broken lungs and replace them with a much healthier set from a donor. It is expected that he'll remain in the hospital for at least 3 weeks after surgery, and then have very frequent follow-up in the outpatient clinics for the first 6 months post-transplant. In addition, Matthew will be required to attend daily pulmonary rehabilitation classes for several months after discharge. We were also given a long list of medications that he will require for the rest of his life post-transplant; and along with them the hefty copays!
During this acute transplant phase, it is also required that we temporarily relocate to Durham, NC so that we are within 15 minutes of the hospital in case Matthew needs emergency care after transplant.
Finally, it is required that Matthew have a full-time caregiver throughout the process that can accompany him 24/7. This means moving to Durham with him, remaining present on a daily basis while he is in the hospital, helping provide care after discharge, and taking him to all of his follow-up appointments and pulmonary rehabilitation sessions.
During this process, Matthew will lose his benefit eligibility at work, so I will have to continue working full-time in order to maintain health insurance coverage and an income to help cover the growing list of bills. Due to this constraint, Matthew's father has graciously volunteered to be to his primary caregiver. However, this also means that his father will be out of work as well while helping care for Matthew.
As you can probably imagine, the cost of a lung transplant is no small amount. We have assessed our finances multiple times and noted that without the help of Matthew's income, I come up short on our bills each month. Add to that the extra transplant expenses of renting an apartment in Durham for 6 months, all the doctor copays, and the costs of post-transplant medications and it becomes very evident that there is no way we can afford this on my income alone.
Before listing Matthew on the transplant registry, the medical team would like to see that we are financially ready to handle the costs of transplant. We NEED your help to save his life!
Please consider making a donation to Matthew's lung transplant fund. Anything at all that you can give to help us reach our goal of $50,000 will be seen by us as a blessing sent directly from Heaven! If you'd like to send him a card, or if you would prefer to give by check instead, you can mail those to:
Matthew & Angela Williamson
P.O. Box 526
Graham, NC 27253
More than anything, we covet your constant prayers because we still believe that all healing comes from God, regardless of how He chooses to heal....whether instantaneously or through medical science! We are trusting God's great faithfulness and are inviting you to be a part of making this miracle possible! In advance, we want to express our gratitude for your prayers and gifts of love! May God be faithful not to forget all that you do and to bless you abundantly!
Sincerely and God bless,
Angela
Thank you from the entire Williamson family!!!
(Matthew and his sister, Holly, during his bone marrow transplant - November 2009)Thanks be to God he has been cancer free for almost 8 years now!
However, the new immune system that he got from his bone marrow donor is now attacking his lungs; slowly but surely eating them away from the inside out. Over the past couple of months, his lung function has declined enough to where he now requires supplemental oxygen.
In Matthew's case, there is no easy cure. So far, the doctors have treated him with four lines of therapy in attempts to save what lung function he has left, but to no avail. Below is a quick peek at one of these treatments called photopheresis:
Now, the only option he has left to restore his lung function and avoid death is to receive a double lung transplant. We started this process at Duke just a few weeks ago.
It is projected that within the next 2-3 months, Matthew will be listed on the lung transplant registry and await new lungs. Amazingly, the average wait time for a set of lungs at Duke is only about 14 days after listing! That means all of this could happen very quickly, even as early as May or June!
(Us during his work-up for lung transplant, right before the cardiac catheterization!)At that point, we will receive a phone call and Matthew will be admitted for surgery where they remove his broken lungs and replace them with a much healthier set from a donor. It is expected that he'll remain in the hospital for at least 3 weeks after surgery, and then have very frequent follow-up in the outpatient clinics for the first 6 months post-transplant. In addition, Matthew will be required to attend daily pulmonary rehabilitation classes for several months after discharge. We were also given a long list of medications that he will require for the rest of his life post-transplant; and along with them the hefty copays!
During this acute transplant phase, it is also required that we temporarily relocate to Durham, NC so that we are within 15 minutes of the hospital in case Matthew needs emergency care after transplant.
Finally, it is required that Matthew have a full-time caregiver throughout the process that can accompany him 24/7. This means moving to Durham with him, remaining present on a daily basis while he is in the hospital, helping provide care after discharge, and taking him to all of his follow-up appointments and pulmonary rehabilitation sessions.
During this process, Matthew will lose his benefit eligibility at work, so I will have to continue working full-time in order to maintain health insurance coverage and an income to help cover the growing list of bills. Due to this constraint, Matthew's father has graciously volunteered to be to his primary caregiver. However, this also means that his father will be out of work as well while helping care for Matthew.
As you can probably imagine, the cost of a lung transplant is no small amount. We have assessed our finances multiple times and noted that without the help of Matthew's income, I come up short on our bills each month. Add to that the extra transplant expenses of renting an apartment in Durham for 6 months, all the doctor copays, and the costs of post-transplant medications and it becomes very evident that there is no way we can afford this on my income alone.
Before listing Matthew on the transplant registry, the medical team would like to see that we are financially ready to handle the costs of transplant. We NEED your help to save his life!
Please consider making a donation to Matthew's lung transplant fund. Anything at all that you can give to help us reach our goal of $50,000 will be seen by us as a blessing sent directly from Heaven! If you'd like to send him a card, or if you would prefer to give by check instead, you can mail those to:
Matthew & Angela Williamson
P.O. Box 526
Graham, NC 27253
More than anything, we covet your constant prayers because we still believe that all healing comes from God, regardless of how He chooses to heal....whether instantaneously or through medical science! We are trusting God's great faithfulness and are inviting you to be a part of making this miracle possible! In advance, we want to express our gratitude for your prayers and gifts of love! May God be faithful not to forget all that you do and to bless you abundantly!
Sincerely and God bless,
Angela
Thank you from the entire Williamson family!!!Organizer
Angela Williamson
Organizer
Graham, NC